“In a delicate exchange between the bright mannered Hickey and Nikolaisen, radiant with sincerity, the elderly character tells a new arrival about the psychology of accruing heirlooms, by which they “try and stop time by hording things”.”
Peter Crawley, THE IRISH TIMES
‘The humour of Hickey’s characters is neatly balanced by Nikolaisen’s skill at commanding the stage in the more serious moments – her depiction of a terrorised mother, determined to protect her child from the gang of bullies that plague them daily, is truly touching.’
Lauren O’Toole, ENTERTAINMENT.IE
“The strongest episode dramatically is the one where the stakes aren’t existentially abstract but frighteningly concrete. Nikolaisen’s single mother expresses quite sharply the almost palpable dread felt when she and her young daughter are left to the mercy of a vicious neighbourhood gang of kids, after she dared confront them over their public drinking…. handling that particular episode with care and nuance…”
Jesse Weaver, IRISH THEATRE MAGAZINE
Jane Eyre / The Gate Theatre / 2010
Jane Eyre
The Gate
“Played with graceful exoticism by Donna Anita Nikolaisen, Bertha is as savage on this 21st-century stage as she is on the 19th-century pages. She brings gothic mysticism to an otherwise realistic work, portraying horror and beauty simultaneously, pointing to the era’s racism.”
Eithne Shortall, THE SUNDAY TIMES
“Other stand-out cast members include Donna Anita Nikolaisen as Bertha Mason, Rochester’s secret, disturbed wife who is locked in the attic and escapes to do mischief. We are introduced first to Bertha’s eerie laugh and elegant, dance-like movements and, later, to her rage, which Nikolaisen manages to make very frightening…”
